The present invention relates to a method of displaying a graphical object and, more particularly, to a method of selectively displaying multiple graphical objects.
A 3D graphics software has been conventionally used in a industrial design and the like. For example, in the circumstance of designing automobiles, the 3 D graphics software is used in reviewing the design or layout of parts in the whole automobile based on designed parts which are assembled into a 3D mockup.
Characteristics of the use of the 3 D graphic software in such environment include:
There are very many graphical objects displayed in the screen and the total number of the graphical objects may amount to several thousands.
A graphical object (part) to be operated (selected) may often be hidden (included) behind another object.
The software is supposed to be used not only the designer himself or herself but also by a wide range of users who do not know the precise position or the name of individual object, such as other enterprises and other sections including sales/service sections.
These characteristics are a general problem which a full scale 3 D graphic software faces more or less without being limited to a graphics software customized to automobiles.
The operation to select a graphical object (part) on the screen is one of the most basic operations which an operator performs in using a 3 D graphic software. However, the operation to select only an intended graphical object among graphical objects crowded in the display screen is very difficult because the aimed object is hidden among other crowded objects, overlapped in many folds, or entirely included in other object.
This operation stresses the operator but the efficiency of operations using a 3 D graphic software will be remarkably improved if the user can do this easily.
Techniques of selecting graphical objects in a conventional 3 D graphic software included:
Search by a part name
A graphic software such as a CAD, for example, xe2x80x9cVisMockupxe2x80x9d of Engineering Animation Co., (Nikkei Digital Engineering, February 1998, pp 94-95), provides a method of presenting a list of graphical objects (parts) to a user to allow the user to select a desired object from the list. It was necessary for the operator to know the name of the part in this method and a substantial education was required for the operator.
Further, the efficiency was low because a registered name had to be located in the list of several thousands items every time an object is selected even when it was known that the object had a certain shape and was in a certain position. In addition, because the graphical object was selected at a place which is different from the place where that graphical object was displayed, the view point had to be moved from the list of parts to a browser every time an object is selected so that the operation efficiency was low and it took a long time until the object was recognized.
Method using a cross sectional view
There is a method of displaying a cross section of 3 D to reveal a 3 D object hidden behind a surface as seen in xe2x80x9cVisMockupxe2x80x9d of Engineering Animation Co., (Nikkei Digital Engineering, February 1998, pp 94-95). This function aims at scrutiny of the configuration of 3 D objects. When this function is applied to supporting the selection of an object, the following problems were involved.
(1) Response: The response in displaying a cross section is very slow (the response from the time when an axis to scan is designated until the first cross section is displayed, and the response in re-displaying a cross section each time when it is slid).
(2) Identifiability: It is difficult to identify an aimed object because many objects are displayed beside the aimed object and very many unnecessary displays formed by these objects remain. It is also difficult to identify the aimed object because it is displayed in a cross section.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to quickly display an intended graphical object exactly from graphical objects hidden in complex within the screen in using a graphic software by a simple mouse operation which an operator can intuitively understand;
It is another object of this invention to provide a graphical display control system which can simply recover an erroneous operation by an operator;
It is another object of this invention to provide a graphical display control system which can operate in a high speed by limiting the amount of data to a minimum;
It is another object of this invention to provide a graphical display control system which does not depend on a platform;
It is another object of this invention to provide a graphical display control system which can reduce resources required for the system to a minimum.
The invention relates therefore to a group of graphical objects which is a set of multiple graphical objects are displayed on a display screen. Each graphical object is managed by a hierarchical structure and is displayed in the display screen based on graphic definition data. When an operator selects one graphical object from the group of graphical objects, an operation tablet is generated. When the operator moves a pointer to the right on the operation tablet, graphical objects placed in the fore side are turned to non-display one after another and graphical objects hidden behind them come to show up. By moving the pointer downwardly after the operator clicks the left button, graphical objects in the same hierarchy as the focused graphical object can be simultaneously turned to non-display to allow a desired graphical object to be searched efficiently for selection.
In one aspect, this invention provide a method of selecting one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects which are managed by hierarchical attribute information on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said method comprising;
(a) a step of displaying a group of graphical objects on said display screen,
(b) a step of displaying on said display screen an operation tablet in which an operable pointer is positioned by said input device,
(c) a step of detecting the movement of said pointer in a first direction on said operation tablet,
(d) a step of modifying a display attribute of a second lie graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to the detection of the movement of said pointer in the first direction,
(e) a step of detecting the movement of said pointer in a second direction on said operation tablet,
(f) a step of modifying a display attribute of a third and a fourth graphical objects having a common hierarchical attribute information to said second graphical objects in response to the detection of the movement of said pointer in the second direction to recognizably display a fifth graphical object on said display screen, and
(g) a step of detecting an operator input selecting said fifth graphical object.
In the claims of this specification, the term xe2x80x9chierarchical attribute informationxe2x80x9d is information for specifying the hierarchical relationship between the graphical objects. The term xe2x80x9cdisplay attributexe2x80x9d as used in the claims of this specification is a concept including non-display, translucent display, highlighted display, translucent highlight display, and blink display, etc. The expression xe2x80x9cordered depending on graphic definition informationxe2x80x9d as used in the claims of this specification is a concept including not only ordering graphic definition information by sorting it in a reference plane but also ordering graphical objects using the graphic definition information based on a predetermined rule.
In another aspect, this invention provides a method of selecting one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects which are managed by a group relationship on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said method comprising;
(a) a step of modifying a display attribute of a second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and
(b) a step of modifying a display attribute of a third graphical object belonging to a group common to said second graphical object in response to an operator input which is classified into a second category which is different from said first category and uses said input device.
The term xe2x80x9coperator input which is classified into a first (or a second) categoryxe2x80x9d as used in the claims of this specification is a concept including not only the movement of the pointer on the operation tablet but also a predetermined key input and a specific mouse operation, etc.
In a further aspect, this invention provides a method of selecting one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said method comprising;
(a) a step of ordering said multiple graphical objects depending on said graphic definition information,
(b) a step of modifying a display attribute of a first graphical object in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and
(c) a step of modifying a display attribute of a second graphical object positioned next to said first graphical object when an operator input which is classified into said first category is detected after said step (b).
In a further aspect, this invention provides a method of selecting one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said method comprising;
(a) a step of modifying a display attribute of second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and
(b) a step of modifying a display attribute of a third graphical object positioned next to said second graphical object when an operator input which is classified into said first category is detected after said step (a).
In a further aspect, this invention provides a graphical object display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said apparatus comprising;
(a) graphic definition data defining a graphical object displayed on said display screen,
(b) graphical object hierarchy definition data for managing hierarchical attribute information of said graphical object,
(c) a display part for displaying a group of graphical objects on said display screen,
(d) a display processing part for generating an operation tablet in which is positioned a pointer which is operable by said input device,
(e) a display status modifying range determination part
(e-1) for modifying a display attribute of a second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to the detection of the movement of said pointer in the first direction, and
(e-2) for modifying a display attribute of a third and a fourth graphical objects having a common hierarchical attribute information to said second graphical objects in response to the detection of the movement of said pointer in the second direction to recognizably display a fifth graphical object on said display screen, and
(f) an event detection part for detecting an operator input selecting said fifth graphical object.
In a further aspect, this invention provides a graphical object display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said apparatus comprising;
(a) graphic definition data defining a graphical object displayed on said display screen,
(b) graphical object hierarchy definition data for managing a group relationship between said graphical objects,
(c) a display status modifying range determination part
(c-1) for modifying a display attribute of a second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and
(c-2) for modifying a display attribute of a third graphical object belonging to a group common to said second graphical object in response to an operator input which is classified into a second category which is different from said first category and uses said input device.
In a further aspect, this invention provides a graphical object display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said apparatus comprising;
(a) graphic definition data defining a graphical object displayed on said display screen,
(b) a display state table generating part for ordering said multiple graphical objects depending on said graphic definition data,
(c) a display status modifying range determination part
(c-1) for modifying a display attribute of a first graphical object in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and thereafter
(c-2) for modifying a display attribute of a second graphical object positioned next to said first graphical object when an operator input which is classified into said first category is detected.
In a further aspect, this invention provides a graphical object display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said apparatus comprising;
(a) graphic definition data defining a graphical object displayed on said display screen,
(b) a display state modification range determination part
(b-2) for modifying a display attribute of second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and thereafter
(b-2) for modifying a display attribute of a third graphical object positioned next to said second graphical object when an operator input which is classified into said first category is detected.
In one aspect, this invention provide a recording medium for storing a program for controlling selection of one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects which are managed by hierarchical attribute information on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said control program comprising;
(a) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to display a group of graphical objects on said display screen,
(b) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to display on said display screen an operation tablet in which an operable pointer is positioned by said input device,
(c) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to detect the movement of said pointer in a first direction on said operation tablet,
(d) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of a second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to the detection of the movement of said pointer in the first direction,
(e) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to detect the movement of said pointer in a second direction on said operation tablet,
(f) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of a third and a fourth graphical objects having a common hierarchical attribute information to said second graphical objects in response to the detection of the movement of said pointer in the second direction to recognizably display a fifth graphical object on said display screen, and
(g) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to detect an operator input selecting said fifth graphical object.
In one aspect, this invention provide a recording medium for storing a program for controlling selection of one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects which are managed by a group relationship on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said control program comprising;
(a) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of a second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and
(b) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of a third graphical object belonging to a group common to said second graphical object in response to an operator input which is classified into a second category which is different from said first category and uses said input device.
In one aspect, this invention provide a recording medium for storing a program for controlling selection of one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said control program comprising;
(a) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to order said multiple graphical objects depending on said graphic definition information,
(b) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of a first graphical object in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and
(c) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of a second graphical object positioned next to said first graphical object when an operator input which is classified into said first category is detected thereafter.
In one aspect, this invention provide a recording medium for storing a program for controlling selection of one graphical object among a group of graphical objects displayed in a display screen based on graphic definition information of multiple graphical objects on a graphical objects display control apparatus having a display screen and an input device, said control program comprising;
(a) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of second graphical object ordered next to a first graphical object depending on said graphic definition information in response to an operator input which is classified into a first category and uses said input device, and
(b) a program code indicating said display control apparatus to modify a display attribute of a third graphical object positioned next to said second graphical object when an operator input which is classified into said first category is detected thereafter.